Jackson said he vacillated over the question all weekend after meeting Saturday with team vice president Jim Buss and General Manager Mitch Kupchak, who went to his home. He hadn’t solicited the visit, but he welcomed them. He was interested in talking about a third run with a team he’d coached from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011. The meeting lasted about 1 1/2 hours. Jackson told them he thought he could do the job. The chat concluded with a handshake and Jackson had the impression he had until Monday to come back to them with his decision. He never got the chance.

The Lakers woke up Jackson with a phone call near midnight Sunday to tell him that Mike D’Antoni would be their coach. “I wish it would have been a little bit cleaner,” Jackson said. “It would have been much more circumspect and respectful of everybody that’s involved. It seemed slimy to be awoken with this kind of news. It’s just weird.”